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SriLankan Airlines launched
"SriLankan Cares",
a new programme that will function as the official charitable arm of the Airline, and especially re-affirms its growing commitment to the empowerment of children through education, good health and a clean environment.
Reigning Miss World Rosanna Davison officially launched SriLankan Cares recently in front of a gathering of diplomats, corporate customers and Gold members of Skywards - the Airline's frequent flyer programme, at the Trans Asia Hotel in Colombo .
Miss Davison urged Sri Lankans to support the efforts of civic-minded organizations such as SriLankan Airlines, and made the first donation to SriLankan Cares . The launch included a video presentation on the many ongoing and future projects that are part of SriLankan Cares , and was intended to build awareness and garner support from the public.
SriLankan is believed to be the first private sector company in Sri Lanka 's commercial field to set up a specialized branding and an institution for charity.
“SriLankan Airlines has gained a worldwide reputation for friendly and caring service, and last year won the award for the Friendliest Cabin Staff among all of the world's airlines. SriLankan Cares is an extension of this attitude into the sphere of charitable projects,” said Deshini Abeyawardena, Manager Public Relations at SriLankan.
SriLankan Cares brings together and institutionalizes the National Carrier's many programmes that have each been independently working towards this company's goal of uplifting needy children throughout Sri Lanka . “We are exploring methods by which our passengers and employees could contribute to SriLankan Cares ,” she added.
SriLankan Cares is already heavily involved in a number of projects around the country. These include the adoption of Meepagama Jayanthi Maha Vidyalaya in Kalawana in the Ratnapura District, a school built for 400 children that now has nearly 1,000 children after floods destroyed several neighbouring schools. The Airline has invested Rs. 4.7 million in a new building that is scheduled for completion in May. SriLankan has already provided a fully equipped playground for the younger children, a computer room, computer training for members of the staff, sponsored a sports meet, and held a medical camp to treat students for everything from inoculations to dental problems.
SriLankan Cares also supports the Healthy Schools Project of the Colombo Municipal Council and the World Health Organization, which is aimed at ensuring that Colombo 's schools have friendly environments that are healthy, comfortable and productive for students.
SriLankan Cares also distributes 30,000 schoolbooks annually to needy students around the country. The Airline last year selected a total of 53 students from every district and took them on an educational tour to the Maldives .
During her visit, Miss World also attended a programme by SriLankan Cares in the beach slum area of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, where she spoke to a group of 500 women on the importance of education in uplifting deprived communities.
“It is through this that the cycle of poverty can be broken. Children are the heroes of the future and deserve the best possible chance in life,” Miss Davison told the members of Lak Vanitha, a programme that encourages micro enterprise development projects among its members. Accompanying her were former Mrs. World and currently Sri Lanka 's High Commissioner to Malaysia , Rosy Senanayake, who translated Miss World's speech into Sinhalese and added her own words of encouragement.
They were welcomed by students of Morning Star School, an educational institute for street children that is run by the Community Concern Society in Dehiwala, which provides 90 children with non-formal or catch-up education and where possible guides them into larger schools.
Miss World then distributed schoolbooks and pencil boxes provided by SriLankan Cares , and delighted the children by posing with them for media photographers, and taking pictures of them with her own camera.
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